Your Monday Briefing

Double junior World Champion Cat Ferguson is poised to make history as one of the youngest competitors ever at Paris-Roubaix this April. The 18-year-old rider will make her debut at the cobbled race as part of a jam-packed road racing calendar that kicks off with Milan-San Remo later this month. “Hopefully I can make it to the velodrome – that’s my aim,” she said, eager to take on the challenge ahead. After a winter spent racing cyclo-cross, Ferguson is set to make her official road debut at the inaugural women’s Milan-San Remo on March 22. Her spring calendar is packed with one-day Classics, including Gent-Wevelgem, Flèche Wallonne, and Brabantse Pijl, before she shifts focus to stage races in Spain and the Tour of Britain.

British talent Carys Lloyd, born on 31st December 2006, is the youngest rider across both the men’s and women’s WorldTours this season. Lloyd was six years old when she began racing and joined British Cycling’s regional school of racing as a teenager and later the national pathway as an U16. She did the endurance road and track program and essentially jumped straight to the pro tier this year. Movistar picked up Lloyd so early, in fact, that she will need to take time out of racing in June to finish her A-levels.

In her second race of the season, Omloop van het Hageland, Anna van der Breggen played a pivotal role in teammate Femke Gerritse’s victory. She took charge in the break, reducing the group and then launching a big effort to drop the pure sprinters, leaving only seven riders to contest the win. Although van der Breggen finished in seventh place after leading Gerritse to the top spot, she remains humble about her form: “I hope to keep improving and get better than I am now. In terms of intensity, I’m not yet where I want to be, but that’s something you only achieve through racing.”

This week there have been several reports of crashes and injuries and we wish all those effected a speedy and complete recovery. Human Powered Health’s Daria Pikulik has undergone successful shoulder surgery. She will be away from racing for several weeks while she recovers. Teammate Ruth Edwards crashed out of Strade Bianche and was taken to hospital for further examination. Hannah Ludwig of Team Cofidis suffered a crash during a recon for Strade Bianche. Examination at the hospital where she stayed overnight revealed no fractures. Katrijn de Clercq of Lotto Cycling team was involved in a heavy crash during Le Samyn des Dames. She sustained a broken chin and a broken finger as well as a sprained knee. Fortunately, concussion could be excluded after further examination. After a fall at the Vuelta Extremadura, Claire Steels of Movistar suffered a facial injury but fortunately no fractures. Martina Fidanza of Team Visma | Lease a Bike was involved in a crash and had to unfortunately abandon the race ahead of Stage 2.

Weather caused havoc ahead of the third stage of the Vuelta Ciclista a Extremadura, which was planned to travel from Malpartida de Plasencia to Hervás. Due to the forecast of rain and wind, the safety of the riders took precedence and for this reason, the route was modified, eliminating several climbs.

The 2025 edition of the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa has been cancelled due to a lack of funding and a failed agreement with the city of Genova. Piernicola Pesce, president of ASD Loabikers, confirmed the cancellation of the stage race’s fourth edition in a statement, citing financial difficulties despite significant local support from several municipalities.

The route for the 2025 edition of Sanremo Women has been published. The 156km race scheduled for 22 March travels from Genoa to Sanremo, heading over the Cipressa and the Poggio. Among the top riders already confirmed are World Champion Lotte Kopecky, Italian Champion Elisa Longo Borghini, and 2023 Strade Bianche and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner Demi Vollering. Read more about it here.

After four years as the title sponsor, Deceuninck will step down from its primary role but will remain a minor partner with the Fenix-Deceuninck team. The door manufacturer announced last week that it will end its title sponsorship of the team and its associated development outfits at the end of 2025. However, following discussions with team management, Deceuninck will continue to support the team in a new partnership format, strengthening its relationship in a different capacity. Under Deceuninck’s sponsorship, the organisation launched a women’s development team alongside the men’s squad in 2021.

There is still growing pessimism about the World Championships being held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Reports in the media indicate it is not only the war on the border with Congo and the very high logistical costs, but also the requirement that riders receive the yellow fever vaccine which is causing concern among the teams.

The UCI 2025 Cycling E-Sports World Championships will take place on-stage in Abu Dhabi in November, marking the second consecutive year that the event is held in the UAE. The competition will be held in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based MyWhoosh, the exclusive platform for the event. Unlike most other cycling disciplines, the event is open to all, with two ways to qualify: either by being selected by a national cycling federation or through public qualifiers.

Strade Bianche: Demi Vollering (FDJ SUEZ) ahead of Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx – Protime) and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma | Lease a Bike)

Le Samyn des Dames: Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) ahead of Linda Zanetti UNO – X Mobility) and Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ)

Vuelta a Extremadura

ITT: Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) ahead of Mie Bjordal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility) and Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility)

Stage 1b: Greta Maturano (UAE Team ADQ) ahead of Sigrid Ytterhus Hausget (Team Coop – Repsol) and Carys Lloyd (Movistar)

Stage 2: Mie Bjordal Ottestad ahead of Ellen van Dijk and Imogen Wolff (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)

Caroline Alexander

Alexander celebrated her 57th birthday on 3rd March. Born in Lancashire, she began her athletic career as a swimmer before discovering her passion for competitive cycling at the age of 20. To pursue her dream of becoming a professional cyclist, she made the bold decision to leave her job as a draughtsperson at a shipyard. Over the years, she became one of the UK’s most accomplished cyclists, representing her country at several Olympic and Commonwealth Games. Her career was marked by impressive achievements, including six British Mountain Bike Championship titles, four National Cyclocross Championships, and a gold medal at the 1995 European Cross-Country Championships. After retiring in 2005, Alexander’s contributions to the sport were recognized with her induction into the British Cycling Hall of Fame in 2009, cementing her legacy as one of the most influential figures in British cycling.

Rachel Neylan

Neylan was born in Sydney on 9 March 1982, and competed in athletics throughout her teenage years, before taking up rowing. After her studies in physiotherapy, she worked in that field for the Australian rowing team before switching over to racing her bike. In 2012 she came second in the World Championships Road Race behind Marianne Vos. After a decade of racing at the highest level, Neylan announced her retirement from professional road cycling in the end of 2023 and switched to gravel racing the following year. As a former physiotherapist, she now works as a performance coach while also studying a MSc in Coaching Psychology.